Stephen Kingis ahorrorgenre staple, and he often recommends TV shows or movies that he enjoys. He’s best known for iconic horror novels such asThe ShiningandIt, and has remained in the public spotlight for his books and adaptations of his work.Stephen King even has another book on the way, continuing a legacy that has scared readers for decades.
Because of his reputation in the horror genre, many trust his recommendations for different works, whether they be novels, TV shows, or even films. The genres of his recommendations often vary, but horror still seems to be the most consistent. Thoughmany of King’s books could still use sequels, his recommended shows such asCabinet of CuriositiesandMidnight Masswill have to do in the meantime.
Evil
Cast
Evil is a psychological mystery series that follows a skeptical forensic psychologist, Kristen Bouchard, who teams up with a Catholic priest-in-training and a tech expert to investigate purportedly supernatural incidents. The series delves into complex themes of religion, science, and the nature of evil through its deeply layered narrative and character development. The show stars Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi.
Beginning with a simple premise,Evilfollows a group of investigators working on behalf of the Catholic Church. Each with their own diverse backgrounds, these investigators are tasked with investigating supernatural events for the church, with their work having the group look into everything from demons to proclaimed prophets of God.The series has been met with general acclaim, achieving a massive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Stephen King praisedEvil,describing it both as “occasionally very scary” and “thought-provoking.” He specifically praised the chemistry between the main actors, something that clearly comes across throughout the entire run of the show. Although the show has now come to an end, the series wraps up in a satisfying manner.
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, a horror anthology series, comes from a collection of visionary filmmakers, including and curated by Guillermo del Toro. Eight terrifying tales, both new and adapted from classic writers, are brought to the small screen to challenge modern horror conventions and get some of the works of del Toro to life. Each episode tells a unique tale with a different cast, with the beginning of each one starting with an introduction by del Toro himself. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities positions itself as anthology series set to give new minds a chance to shine in a crowded medium.
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiositiesis an anthology horror series collecting stories from both del Toro himself and other filmmakers. The series leans into the gothic horror genre, and though each episode features a different story, they are all tied together by del Toro’s beautiful style. The series has been praised for the loving attention paid to the gothic style, making the series stand out among other horror titles.
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiositieswon a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative, Period, or Fantasy Program.
Similar to other critics, King also praised this anthology series for its beauty.Ahead of its release on Netflix, King noted that the series is both “scary” and “sinister,” high praise from one horror icon to another.The series is a masterclass in horror, showing what beauty can be found even in such horrific storytelling.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets is a television series exploring the survival ordeal of a high school girls' soccer team stranded in the remote wilderness after a plane crash. It interweaves psychological horror and coming-of-age themes, simultaneously depicting their harrowing transformation and its lasting impact on their lives 25 years later.
Known for its haunting narrative and storytelling that spans two timelines,Yellowjacketsis broken up between two timelines. It details the story of a plane crash that occurred in 1996, stranding a high school girl’s soccer team deep in the woods, as well as their lives in the modern day 25 years later.As the story devolves into madness, the viewer eventually discovers that many of these girls resorted to cannibalism to survive.
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Yellowjacketshas been praised by critics and fans alike for its well-paced storytelling, achieving a natural and compelling plot balance. As the series continues, it explores the characters presented in a way that does not shy away from the darkness inside each of these seemingly innocent women. King’s own praise focuses on the series' writing, noting thatYellowjacketshas a “sharp characterization and a mordant sense of humor.”
Servant
M. Night Shyamalan steps into the realm of television with Servant, a psychological horror series created for Apple TV+. The show follows the affluent Dorothy and Sean Turner, who, after experiencing the death of their infant son, find their relationship strained and fractured. But the hole in their relationship is soon filled with the support of a nanny who is hired to care for a doll that represents their lost son - and tagging along with her is something more sinister.
After a Philadelphia couple finds their infant son dead, they replace him with a lifelike doll to help work through their grief. However, in an odd turn of events, they hire a live-in nanny to take care of the doll as if he were the real thing. What follows is a horrific exploration of grief and the human mind in M. Night Shyamalan’s most recent horror TV show.
The series' exploration of grief as an avenue of horror is striking, frightening in the way it manipulates the viewer.
Not only did King praise the series for being generally creepy and having a gripping narrative, but stated, “Two episodes, and I’m hooked.“The series' exploration of grief as an avenue of horror is striking, frightening in the way it manipulates the viewer. It was at one point nominated for an Emmy Award for its evocative cinematography, but it unfortunately did not win.
Midnight Mass
Created and directed by Mike Flanagan, Midnight Mass follows the residents of an isolated fishing community whose lives are changed by the sudden appearance of a charismatic new priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater). The residents of Crockett Island struggle to eke out a meager living, just barely surviving off the mainland, but the appearance of Hill changes everything. Attendance at the local church is at an all-time high, but cynical ex-con Riley Flynn doesn’t trust the priest, and sets out to uncover his dark secret.
Mired in misplaced faith and paranoia,Midnight Masstakes place in the rundown community of Crockett Island. When a mysterious priest comes to town, terrifying and strange events begin to terrorize the town’s residents. Both bloody and tense,Midnight Masstakes a unique approach in portraying supernatural elements that have been thoroughly covered in other media.
Because of this building tension,Midnight Masshas a bit of a slow start. However, this is to the series' benefit, with King noting that this series is a “dense, beautifully photographed terror tale that climbs to a high pitch of horror by the 7th and last episode.” It is gripping all the way through, with the greater story slowly unfolding throughout the miniseries' run.
From
From is a series revolving around a mysterious American town that ensnares newcomers, forcing its inhabitants to maintain order and find an escape amidst nighttime perils from the surrounding forest. The residents face threats from terrifying creatures emerging after sunset, complicating their struggle for survival.
Trapped in a town that is surrounded by a daunting forest, the cast ofFromare plagued by terrifying creatures that haunt this mysterious town. The series centers on Boyd Stevens, both sheriff and mayor of the town, as he and the Matthews family attempt to escape.Fromhas only improved over time, with its most recent season receiving an incredible 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fromwas originally produced by Epix, but was picked up by MGM+ starting in 2023.
King’s response to the show is steeped in surprise, noting that the series thus far has been “beautifully handled.” He also expresses an interest in the series going forward, theorizing,“Is it possible these people are dead and don’t know it?” The show certainly stimulates questions in the viewer, with plenty of shocking moments that are sure to make jaws drop.
Dracula
Dracula (2020) is a reinterpretation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel, co-created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Starring Claes Bang as the titular Count Dracula, the series explores the legendary vampire’s battles with the descendants of Van Helsing and his dark journey from Transylvania to London. The three-episode series examines both the historical and contemporary influences of Dracula’s enduring legacy.
Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss ofDoctor WhoandSherlockfame,Draculais an eye-opening take on Bram Stoker’s original story by the same name. The story initially follows the character of Johnathan Harker before moving to focus on the vampire Dracula himself, and what comes next is a bloody affair soaked to the bone in gore.This series strays quite a bit from the original story, but despite this, it is considered one of thebest portrayals of Draculain movie history.
The blood and gore of the series is also something noted by King, describing it as “bloody terrific. Which is to say terrific and VERY bloody.” He also writes that the series is “smart,” likely a compliment to the miniseries' incredible writing. Though the series is only a short three episodes long, more like a movie in that regard, it is worth every bloody minute.
The Outsider
Based on Stephen King’s novel, this crime drama series follows a detective and an unconventional investigator as they confront a malevolent supernatural entity infiltrating a child murder investigation, leading them to challenge their perceptions of reality and justice.
Another series that starts out as a slow burn that grows to pay off later,The Outsideris equal parts horror and crime drama. It is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, focusing on detective Ralph Anderson, who is still grieving the loss of his son. Aside from being a great series in general,The Outsideralso has an incredible pilot episode, making it even more memorable right from the start.
Although the character of Holly Gibney appears in bothThe Outsiderand another Stephen King adaptation series titledMr. Mercedes,there is no continuity between the two shows.
Though the series makes significant departures from King’s novel at times, the author had glowing reviews for the series.King has stated that this series is “one of the best adaptations” of his novels out there.With such great adaptations as theITseries of films out there, this comes as incredibly high praise.
Dark
Dark is a German science fiction thriller focusing on four families in a small town impacted by the disappearance of a child. As they search for answers, they uncover a web of interconnected secrets, revealing complex temporal and familial relationships spanning multiple generations.
Being another critically acclaimed Netflix horror series,Darkputs a science fiction twist on horror, focusing both on time travel and on conspiracy. The series begins to unravel the mystery at its core as children in the area start to go missing, adding dire stakes to the series' plot. Despite being filmed in the German language,Darkhas a very large following internationally.
Aside from describing the show as “very German,” King praisedDarkfor its complexity.The show seems to layer upon itself, and with time travel thrown into the mix, things can often get confusing. Despite this,Darkpulls off its potentially confusing premise with aplomb, creating a series that rivals the likes ofTwin PeaksandStranger Things.
Marianne
Marianne follows a novelist who discovers that the frightening tales she pens are manifesting in reality.
Chilling to its core,Marianneis a French horror series in which the protagonist, a novelist named Emma, realizes that the characters she writes about in her horror novels are actually real people. She has nightmares about the titular Marianne, and these nightmares slowly make their way into Emma’s reality.The show has a creeping feeling about it that eventually pays off, making this series genuinely scary in a way that many horror series simply aren’t.
Mariannecurrently has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
WhenStephen KingdiscussedMarianne,not only did he describe it as scary, but he went a step further when he wrote, “If you’re one of those sickos–like me–who enjoys being scared, MARIANNE (Netflix) will do the job.” Not only does he compliment the fear factor of this horrorseries, but he notes that it feels like something that has the “vibe” of his own writing. This is an incredible compliment coming from such an iconic author, cementingMarianneas an incredible example of greathorrortelevision.
